Newbie with print quality issues

[nmpnmp]

Hi,

I recently purchased an Anet A8 printer and have started exploring the world of 3D printing. Along the way I am experiencing some odd results from my prints. I am printing with PLA, bed temp of 60/ extruder at 200. I’m printing onto blue tape. I am using pritt stick glue applied to the bed to ensure print adhesion. I’m getting mixed results however. Some, maybe most prints are good, however, some are not so good.

Some of the worst prints have a rough uneven finish on the edge in contact with the bed. The only thing I can think of is the adhesive glue stick I am applying to the bed. I’ve enclosed pictures of the results I am seeing, anybody able to suggest why I am seeing such inconsistent results? The first picture shows how a particularly bad print comes out. The second shows how some prints come out much better than others using pretty much the same settings.

[nmpnmp]

See attached photo of mixed results using the same settings.

I’ve also tried printing with a cold bed without glue on blue tape, but this results in no adhesion.

I’ve yet to try a cold bed with glue or a hot bed for the first layers only.

I’ve also ordered a buildtak bed cover, I hear these are pretty good.

I’ve done a lot of reading, and am a little confused whether or not to use a heated bed for PLA. A lot of articles say not to, but that doesn’t work for me, but also see a few articles saying if you have a heated bed, use it. What’s the current concensus on this?

Thanks for your help

[wirlybird]

What slicer? What speeds are you using?

Temps seem ok.

Apply glue to a cold bed using back and forth direction like from side to side then do the same in a 90 degree direction like front to back. A light coat is all.

If you have a cooling fan don’t run until after the first or second layer.

[nmpnmp]

Hi, thanks for the rapid reply. I am using Cura with 60mm/s print speed/120mm/s travel. Mostly working with Cura defaults. In your experience would you say I’m right in thinking that the problems with the print are down to the use of glue? Possibly using too much glue?

Do you recommend using a hot or cold bed for PLA?

thanks

[wirlybird]

Heated bed since you have it. Drop speed to 40mm/s as you work to dial things in.

You shouldn’t need to much glue. A thin layer on the bed before preheat.

[nmpnmp]

Thanks, I will try that. Been running a lot of calibration prints recently, how do you think this cube is coming out? Any obvious issues that you can spot?

[wirlybird]

Looks a bit hot and possibly over extruding a bit.

Do you have a parts cooling fan on the printer? Also maybe drop the bed temp a bit after the first layers, I go down to 55 or so especially on a smaller part.

[nmpnmp]

Thanks for the help, I have the factory fan and nozzle on the head right now, was planning on printing a mistral fan perhaps that will help. I’ll try another print of the cube as is, with the bed temp drop to 55 after the first layers as you suggest, and ​see how that turns out, after which i’ll drop the print speed to 40mm/s. If those look good, I’ll get a new nozzle printed out and retest to see how the prints then come out.

Thanks for all the help. I might print my results on this thread as I go, if you get a chance to comment, and who knows, may help others.

Many thanks!

[wirlybird]

This stuff can get really frustrating and unless a printer is just completely out of wack pretty much everything is solvable. The key is to get organized, so to speak, on trouble shooting and when you make a change make it for a reason and then look at the result and try to understand what happened.

I’d be happy to try to comment. Just keep up the fight and remember if one goes bad just go back to the basics and work from there.